'Study for 'Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna...': Composition

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Drawing details

Title: 'Study for 'Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna...': Composition
Date: c.1854
Media: Pencil and bodycolour on tracing paper
Dimensions: 19.1 x 43.5 cm
Location: Leighton House Museum
Picture credit: Leighton House Museum, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Reference number: LHO/D/0457
Inscriptions: Formerly stamped lower left corner "LLC" encircled, in black ink (this corner is now missing from the sheet).

Interpretation

In an article on the drawings at Leighton House Museum, Mrs. Barrington described this study as "one of the most remarkable" for it's "extraordinary precision of outline and graceful arrangement of moving figures." Sadly, this drawing has since suffered some damage. [Barrington, Mrs. Emilie Isabel (preface), 'Lord Leighton's House and What it Contains', 1900, Leighton House, London, p.143]

Description

Study for the composition of the painting 'Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna...' (c.1853-55, Royal Collection). The far left side of the composition differs considerably from the finished work. For example, the horse on the left hand side is not is in the finished painting. 

Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist to his sisters, Mrs. Augusta Matthews (n+e Augusta Neunburg Leighton, 1835-1919) and Mrs. Alexandra Orr (n+e Alexandra Leighton, 1828-1903); purchased by the Fine Art Society in 1896 (Fine Art Society reference number H12); purchased from the Fine Art Society by C. E. Shepherd of 5 Pall Mall Place, London W1 on 25 May 1897 for 42:0:0; collection of Leighton House Museum 

Bibliography

• Barrington, Mrs. Russell, 'Lord Leighton's House, and What it Contains', 'Magazine of Art', October 1899, p.532
• Barrington, Mrs. Russell, 'The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic, Lord Leighton', George Allen, London, 1906, volume I, illustrated opposite p.149
• Barrington, Mrs. Emilie Isabel, 'Catalogue: Lord Leighton's House and What it Contains', 1900, reprinted as part of 'A Collection of Essays on Lord Leighton and his Works with Illustrated Catalogue of the Contents of Leighton House', priv 

Exhibition history

• 01 July 1901 to 01 November 1901, 'Exhibition of Paintings by Lord Leighton', Leighton House Museum, London, catalogue number 1a
• 09 August 1982 to 04 September 1982, 'George Hemming Mason (1818-1872)', Fine Art Society, London, catalogue number 24